Bandh seeking Adya Prashad Pandey ouster paralyses life in Imphal

IMPHAL: Life was paralyzed in Imphal on Wednesday owing to a 48-hour bandh called by the Manipur University Students' Union (MUSU) in pursuit of its demand to remove vice-chancellor Adya Prashad Pandey.



The MUSU, MU Teachers Association (MUTA) and MU Staff Association (MUSA) have charged Pandey with administrative and financial irregularities.

Business establishments at Khwairambandh market covering Paona Bazaar, Thangal Bazzar, BT Road , Majzid Road and Allu Galli were closed and attendance in government offices was thin. Passenger and goods-laden vehicles were stopped and educational institutions remained closed. However, the strike did not affect flight

services

.

Police and paramilitary forces remained on high alert at various strategic places, including the CM's bungalow, Raj Bhavan, secretariat, residences of ministers, key state and central government offices. Bandh supporters blocked roads by putting up makeshift barricades and burning tyres at various streets in the capital. The strike also affected other valley districts of Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching .

Meanwhile, the Centre has restructured its probe panel to investigate the charges levelled against Pandey by appointing T Nandakumar Singh, a retired acting chief justice of Meghalaya high court, as head of the committee. MUSU president M Dayaman said that the setting up of the probe panel will not deter its movement. "Our ultimate demand is removal of the VC," he added.

With the setting up of the panel, MUSU, MUTA and other members of the academic community will cooperate with the investigation and will allow the university to function in the interim period in the larger interest of students, said a statement issued by the CM's secretariat. It added that the VC should go on leave during the inquiry. The MUSU kicked off the stir on May 30 and shut down the Centre-run varsity on June 6. Later, other organizations supported their demand to remove the VC.